Using a Three-Component Distributed Array of Mixed, Horizontal, and Vertical Single-Component Seismometers to Produce a Receiver Function from a Short Deployment

Abstract

Receiver function (RF) imaging is an important tool in the investigation of the crust (e.g., Burdick and Langston, 1977; Langston, 1979; Owens et al. , 1984; Owens and Crosson, 1988; Zhang and Langston, 1995) and upper mantle (Vinnik, 1977; Gurrola et al. , 1994). The P ‐to‐ S conversion ( Ps ) from the Moho is typically one of the most prominent phases on P ‐wave RFs. Estimates of the depth and thickness of the Moho (e.g., Grad and Tiira, 2012) and V P / V S ratio of the crust are important goals of many RF investigations (Zhu and Kanamori, 2000). In addition, S ‐to‐ P conversions ( Sp ) on S ‐wave RFs have been used to image the lithosphere–asthenosphere boundary (e.g., Rychert et al. , 2005, 2007; Abt et al. , 2010; Kumar et al. , 2012). Although 2D and 3D imaging of the upper mantle and crust using common conversion point (CCP) stacking of RFs produced from data recorded by dense seismic arrays (e.g., Dueker and Sheehan, 1997; Simmons and Gurrola, 2000; Hansen et al. , 2013) are more powerful tools than 1D imaging, few areas exist with dense enough arrays for such processing. Single‐station RF interpretation is, therefore, still very important in most regions to image the crustal and upper‐mantle discontinuities. Array processing of both single‐ and three‐component seismic data is known to improve the quality of RFs (Langston and Hammer, 2001). Here, we present the results of using array processing applied to a small, mixed network of vertical and horizontal single‐component seismic stations with a relatively short deployment to produce a single RF. We will refer to an array of mixed vertical and horizontal …